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BRSO program to highlight orchestral sounds of Motown favorites

david torns brso

David Torns, associate conductor of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, leads the musicians at Live After Five on Sept. 6, 2013. The city's premier orchestral group next teams up with vocal group Spectrum to create a Motown-inspired program. (Photo by Chelsea Brasted, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra will join forces with four singers Feb. 8 to produce the newest edition of the Pops series. Spectrum, a soul and R&B vocal group, will help out BRSO in producing a program of some of the best Motown songs.

The singers behind Spectrum worked to perfect their talents while in Las Vegas, where they worked on shows like "American Superstars" and "Legends in Concert." Today, they cover songs from a variety of R&B and soul groups like the Platters, the Temptations and Boyz II Men.

"Spectrum comes from that kind of Vegas show tradition, so you know it has to be good," said associate conductor David Torns, who is leading the series. "These guys travel the world doing these covers of Motown, and they have all the costumes and all the moves like The Temptations, the dances, the choreography."

The program is less of a blending of two traditions and more of a revelation of what was already inscribed in Motown music.

"If you listen to those songs on the radio or the original recording, a lot of them had string sections and brass sections in them. We're enhancing those backgrounds with the full symphony orchestra," Torns said. "There's a full orchestral break in (The Temptations') 'My Girl,' and just wait until the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra is playing it."

Tickets start at $25 and are available through the BRSO box office by calling 225.383.0500 ext 100 or by going online to www.brso.org.